Beaton Park Community Update - May 2025

Wollongong City Council is working towards its vision for Beaton Park to be one of the city’s key sporting hubs that meets our community needs now, and into the future.

Right now, through a competitive procurement process, we’ve appointed expert consultants who are working on a feasibility study to provide Council with future options for this site.

This study will provide insights into what Beaton Park caters for well, where there are opportunities and where there are gaps. It will provide a clear understanding of the costs and benefits of future facilities and help Council to determine priority projects and potential funding opportunities to consider.

This is not simply a desktop review. We’re having conversations with all major indoor sport organisations who use indoor courts at venues across Wollongong, to improve our understanding of what may have changed since the adopted Master Plan, including utilisation and demand for courts.

This work is in alignment with our commitment to support all levels of sport – from enthusiastic amateurs and keen youngsters, to aspiring and elite professional athletes.

It’s also urgently needed. The Illawarra Basketball Association, for example, need additional courts and venues as they have a waiting list of players and are using a number of school sites to enable children to play sport.

While this study is underway, there are no changes to the use and hire of current Beaton Park facilities, including Ted Tobin Hall. The current bookings for ongoing and casual hirers, including fitness classes, continue as normal and we’re committed to regularly revisiting our program and schedule of fitness classes to ensure we’re providing the right classes for our members at the right time.

It’s important we get this process right and ensure the future requirements of indoor sports are considered and tested through analysis for things that may have changed.

We are committed to keeping our community informed as we work through this process - we’re anticipating to see the draft proposals by spring this year.

Read the Lord Mayor's Column Supporting the city's sporting future.